Rochester man builds motor-bike, rides rain or shine

Monday

Oct 8, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By Michelle Kingstonmkingston@fosters.com

ROCHESTER ­­— He is making an impact, saving money and getting praise from passengers in vehicles as he motors by. Alex Boros, a city resident, built his own motorized bicycle.It all started in the spring of 2011 when Boros, 43, saw a man on a motor-bike in the parking lot of a Dover supermarket. “I flagged him down,” he said. “It just looked so cool. He had just motor-pedaled from Portland, Maine, and it took him a little over three hours. He was very kind and let me try his ride. I was hooked.”Boros, who was driving a 1996 Subaru station wagon at the time, decided to buy a kit to motorize his bicycle and sell his automobile.“I quickly realized it’s fun to ride, it’s inexpensive to get around,” he said. “My old car needed a new catalytic converter and thus was only getting 17 miles per gallon on the highway.”Boros purchased the same kit that the man in the parking lot had, which ran him an estimated $600. “Yes, there are cheaper kits out there, but you get what you pay for. I’ve heard of people making a motor-bicycle from junk yard scraps,” he said. “I like the fact that I can easily order replacement parts online, including various sprockets for engine torque and various top speeds. I can really dial in the perfect ride.”This was much cheaper than fixing his Subaru, which, Boros said, was a smart decision due to his fixed income. By downsizing from the sport vehicle to his motor-bicycle, Boros has had to get accustomed to not having windows and walls protecting him as he travels.“I use my motor-bicycle all four seasons, except in heavy rain,” he said. “In the winter, I use studded winter road tires made for bicycles.”Boros said he prefers to stay out of the rain, but believes he made the best choice using the motorized bicycle as his only means of transportation. The bike can reach speeds up to 35 miles per hour, although Boros’ top speed is 25 miles per hour. He’s traveled throughout New England, and has only put about $300 more into the bike.“I think the selling point is the miles per gallon,” Boros said. “With a rider under 175 pounds, you could easily get 200 miles per gallon.”This depends on the weight being carried on the bicycle, according to Boros. He said if he is carrying groceries, or going up hill, the miles per gallon decreases. Boros said his bike is also registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles. “I just wanted to have just as much legal right to be on the road as any other motorist,” Boros said. “I saw myself eventually crossing state lines, even motor-pedaling cross-country, so I wanted a moped plate.”Boros said registration was a gray area. He said he emailed back and forth with the DMV in Concord for over nine months before receiving his registration.“Legally, yes, you do need to have a vehicle like this registered, but when speaking to police officers in Dover and Rochester, they told me they did not have a problem with it,” he said.Boros’ bicycle is covered by AAA for up to a 200 mile tow. Next month, he plans to get it insured through Progressive for only $77 a year.Boros isn’t making more motorized bicycles at this time, but said if anyone wanted to contact him to build a custom bike for them, he would be up for the challenge.“No one really wants to spend a grand for one like mine,” Boros said. “If someone wants to trust me and hands me a grand up front, then I’d be quite happy to build them a good quality motor-bicycle.”The motivation behind this project, Boros said, was sparked by his bipolar disorder. He said using the kit and building his bike widened his horizons.“That, and also it was a huge economic savings and it was fun,” Boros said.In the future, Boros hopes to ride his bike to the White Mountains to take photographs and make sketches for paintings to help his aspirations of becoming an artist.“Life can be unlimited and full of opportunities,” Boros said.